To his astonishment the shop was empty.

He looked about for the expected customer or caller, whoever he or she might be, and saw no one.

He stepped to the window and looked out, but there was no one on the steps or in the yard.

He made up his mind that he must have dreamed of the bell-ringing and was turning back to the inner room, when a voice said: "Please, are you the windmill man ?" Jed started, turned again, and stared about him.
"Please, sir, here I am," said the voice.
Jed, looking down, instead of up or on a level, saw his visitor then.

That is, he saw a tumbled shock of curls and a pair of big round eyes looking up at him over a stock of weather vanes.
"Hello!" he exclaimed, in surprise.
The curls and eyes came out from behind the stack of vanes.